Rotterdam top ranked Dutch city in EU urban life survey

The people of Rotterdam are the happiest Dutch city dwellers, according to new European research into the quality of life in Europe’s cities.

Top of the ranking of 83 cities is Aalborg in Denmark, followed by the Danish capital Copenhagen and Reykjavik in Iceland.

Rotterdam is the highest ranked Dutch city, coming in 12th place. Groningen is two places lower at number 14 and Amsterdam third at 17.

The survey, which involved 40,000 people, focuses on quality of life and shows how satisfied people are with various aspects of urban life, such as employment opportunities, the presence of foreigners, public transport and pollution.

Rotterdam also topped European sub-rankings for its public spaces and Groningen was top for its education. Amsterdammers were the most satisfied in Europe with the health service.